Getting caught with a small amount of marijuana would be akin to getting a traffic ticket under a bill that is up for consideration by an Assembly panel on Monday.

The measure before the Assembly Judiciary Committee, which has bipartisan sponsorship, would replace criminal penalties with fines for those caught with less than 15 grams of marijuana — or enough for more than 30 joints.

Too far out there? According to Roseanne Scotti, state director for the Drug Policy Alliance. it’s the furthest a bill to decriminalize marijuana has ever gotten in the New Jersey Legislature.

"We think it’s a wonderful first step," Scotti said. "There are so many consequences for people who have a drug conviction. You have a drug crime on your record. It can affect your student loans, your employment in addition to the public stigma that goes with being dragged into court on a charge like this."

For now it’s unclear whether the measure could make its way through the full Legislature, let alone past Christie’s desk. A spokesman for the governor did not return a call seeking comment.

Currently, those caught with small amounts of marijuana for personal use face up to six months in jail and a $1,000 fine, in addition to a possible driver’s license suspension and hundreds of dollars in court fees.

Under the proposed legislation, a first offense would draw a $150 fine, a second offense a $200 fine, and a third $500. In addition, violators under 21 caught with marijuana or adults busted three times would have to attend a drug education program. Those caught with paraphernalia would face a $100 fine.

Fourteen states have already decriminalized the possession marijuana, including New York and Connecticut, according to the National Organization for the Reform of Marijuana Laws, though it remains a crime on the federal level.